Concentrator



(No Model.)

P. SLETGHER.

GONGENTRATOR. No. 399,791. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

UNTTED STaTns PaTnnT @rricn.

FREDERICK SLETOIIER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

coNcENTnA-roa.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 399,791, dated March 19, 18819.

Application filed February 23, 1888. Serial No. 265,041. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SLnrcHna, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in a Concentrator; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact d escript-ion of the same.

My invention relates to a device or mech-' anism the object of which is to draw off from a sluice, flume, ditch, or other similar convcyer the heavier portions of the flowing contents or all the solid matter held in suspen sion or carried by the water when the said portions are of the nature of worthless sediment, as in the case of ditches, where it is de sired to purify the water as much as possible, or the more valuable sulphurets and heavier concentrations from a sluice-box of any width or size through which the pulp of a battery or other valuable mineral-bearing sand or material is carried.

My invention consists in the constructions and combinations of devices, which I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the flume or sluice, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an exterior side elevation.

A is a sluice or tlume, which is preferably 3 made sectional, and B is an opening or slot extending entirely across the movable seciion-flume. The section in which the opening B is made is separated from the preceding and succeeding sections with which it connects.

C C are L-shaped rubber or elastic springs or cushions, forming also rests by which this portion of the sluice is supported and by which connection is made between it and the adjacent sections, a tight joint being produced by means of these cushions, while at the same time the section A is allowed a certain amount ofend motion by the yielding of the cushion without allowing any leakage at its joint.

If desired, the bottoms and sides of the sections may also be made to overlap, to further assist in making a tight joint. The opening 1 is made transversely across the bottom of the sluice, and beneath this opening is mounted a drum, D, which extends preferably across the full inside width of the sluice and is j ournaled in boxes which are supported by this section. In the present case I have shown the drum as fluted upon the periphery, so as to act more directly in conveying away any precipitation which may fall into it. The opening 13 has its lowerside beveled or curved t0 the same are with the periphery of the roller or drum, so that the latter fits up closely, the upper side being nearly or quite on a level with the bottom of the sluice. Upon the outer end of the drumshaft is abelt-pulley, F, through which power is supplied to rotate the drum at any desired speed, the direction of motion being, as shown by the arrow, against the current which is flowing down the sluice.

Upon the drum-shaft, at either one or both ends, are fixed one or more wheels, G, having teeth or spurs II, which serve to operate a hammer or hammers, I, in the following manner: The hammers are provided with handles J, which. are fulcrumed upon the side of the sluice or from some convenient support in close proximity thereto. Lugs or projections K are fixed upon the movable section A of the sluice, so that when the hammers are drawn back and allowed. to fall by gravity or by the assistance of a spring or weight, they will strike against the lugs K-and produce a jarring action upon the movable tunic-section, this action being permitted by reason of the elastic or movable joints by which the section is united to those adjacent.

L is a bellcrank lever, so fulcrumed wit-h relation to the toothed wheel G that the pro jections or cogs II will strike the toe or point of the lever and draw it downward as the wheel rotates, the lever being released as each cog passes it. A red or cord connects the opposite end of this lever with the hammer-lever J, and the hammer-lever may have a spring connected with it which will draw it back abruptly after the lever L is released, causing the hammer to give a blow upon the projection K. This blow is given in the direction in which the water flows in the sluice, and when it strikes the lug the effect is to produce a jar or temporary stoppage against the current, which will have the effect of precipitating the heavier matter downward and also in an upstream direction, and therefore assisting the drum D to carry off all the heavier material, if desired.

The drum D rotates at a rate of speed considerably slower than it may be necessary to have the hammers strike the sluice, and for this reason it may be desired to have more than one set of hammers and more than one operating-wheel G, in which case the cogs or teeth of these wheels would be fixed as to alternate with each other, and thus double the number ofblows given in rotation. By this action the heavier portions of the material flowing through the sluice will be precipitated to the bottom of the sluice, and, flowing along until they reach the druniD, they will fall upon its surface and be carried downward and out of the sluice by its continuous rotation. In order to wash this precipitate off of the drum, so that it will not again be carried up into the sluice, I have provided a pipe, M, into which water is brought under pressure. This pipe is provided with a narrow slit or numerous perforations in such a position that the water will be discharged forcibly against the drum at the lower part, and thus wash oft. the precipitations, which may be saved and the process repeated, if necessary, or allowed to go to waste, according to their value. The lighter sediment or clear water will pass 011 down the sluice or fiume, and it will be manifest that in the case of valuable sulphurets, fine gold, and flour quicksilver as many of these movable sections and discharge-drums may be placed at intervals along the sluice as will be found desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A concentrator comprising a converging sluice or iiume having an independent or movable section in its length, invertedT- shaped springs or cushions between the ends of said section and the adjacent ends of the Home or sluice, whereby they serve as rests and elastic joints, a transverse opening in the bottom of the movable section, a drum or roller revolving with its upper periphery in said opening, and means for imparting an end motion to said section, substantially as herein described.

section and serving as rests and elastic joints,

a hammer or hammers and mechanism for operating the same, and lugs upon the side of the movable fiume-section upon which the hammers fall when released, substantially as herein described.

An independent movable flume-section having the transverse opening, a drum revolving with its upper periphery within this opening, a toothed wheel or wheels, and a lever operated by the teeth, in combination with yielding -shaped cushions at the ends of the movable sections, serving as rests and elastic joints, the hammer or hammers connected with the lever, and a lug or lugs upon the side of the movable flume-section, upon which the hammers fall, so as to give blows in the direction of the downward flow of the pulp or water, substantially as herein described.

4. A flume or sluice having a movable section interposed in its length, in combination with invertcd-T-shaped elastic cushion-rests interposed between the ends of the movable and stationary portion of the flume, whereby a tight but elastic joint is formed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The flume having the movable interposed section provided with lugs, -shaped elastic cushions at the ends of the movable section serving as rests and elastic joints, a transverse slot or opening in the bottom of the movable section, and the drum revolving with its upper periphery within this opening, in combination with the hammer or hammers and operating mechanism whereby the hammers strike upon said lugs and produce a jarring motion in the direction of its length, and the water-tube with its jets discharging upon the drum, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK SLETCHER.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. 0. LEE. 

